Safe and vault protecting means



May 15, 1928. 1,670,134 c. D. BROWN SAFE AND VAULT PROTECTING MEANS Filed Nov. 17. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 are C/ZiT/fSQBPOW/Z fm oz" May 15,.1928. I 1,670,134

- C. D. BROWN SAFE AND VAULT PROTEQTAING MEAiIs Filed Nov. 17, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I [men or Char/6508mm? [(50 me y;

Patented May 15, 192 8.

CHARLES D. BROWN, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ,AssI NoR or ONE-EALE To i GEORGE E. RICHARDS, OFMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA."

" AFE nn VAULT riaornc'rme mnans. 7

Application filedflovember 17, 1923; Serial'No. 675,326,

The modern burglars method of breaking lnto a safe where because of a tight fittlng door, it is lmpi'acticable to use an explosive for blowing the door off its hinges, comprises the use of an acetylene cutting torch by means of which a small hole is easily and quickly-cut through the wall of the safe and then enlarged by the same means until it is of sufficient size .to allow the insertion of the hand and the removalof the money and securities from the safe chamber. f No known metal or alloy can withstand th'e'in tense heat of the cutting torch and it is only a question of time when the safe breaker can out through a steel wall of any ordinary thickness andhave access to the contents of the safe. Reinforcedfconcrete walls are no protection, as concrete when subjected 4 to the extreme heat of the cutting torch and then instantly cooled by throwing water thereon will immediately dissolve or disintegrate and can be removed with the fingers, and any reinforcing wires or rods therein can of course beinstantly cut by the application of the torch. This applies particularly to safes or vaults-used in the banks of small towns where comparatively small safes of the portable type are generally usedand the elaborate systems of protection employed in the city banksis too expensive to be con- 'sidered. i

The object, therefore, of my ,present'in vention is tov provide means for protecting safes and vaults from burglars using a cut ting torch. i

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims. I

In the accompanying drawingsvforming part ottlns specification,

Figure 1 is a view of a small type of safe,

with my invention applied thereto, the wall of the safe being shownin section; v

Figure 2 is a similar view taken on the section line 22 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a view on line.33 of Figure 4, and corresponding to Figure 1, showing the invention adapted'for use in a safe that is already built;'

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 isa perspective View ofone sect1on of the rear lining of Figure 3; and

Figure (5 is aperspectiveview of'onese'ction of the wall lining of Figure 3 y In the drawing, 2 represents the, walls-of the safe having a suitable base 3 and door 4 all of ordinary construction.

money and other securities maybe placed. In the manufacture of the safe, in the I 5 is'the safe chamber having the usual shelf 6, whereon casting of'the"wallsthereof, I provide a hollow chamber 7 extending around the rear and sides of the chamber 5 and provided with a filling opening Sexte nding through thewall of, the .safe' This chamber 7 is filled with a volatile liquid such as ammonia, 5

formaldehyde or some material in suitable form which when released, as by the puncture ofthe wall of the gas chamber, with a cutting torch will throw off penetrating fumes or a gas andextinguish the flameof the cutting torch, the gas entirely prevent ing the burning of the torch and the consequent enlargement of the hole sufficient1yto permit the robber-to insert his hand. The.

contents of the gas chamber may be of such a nature that a gas will be thrown'ofi' so deadly in its effects that no person could stand or [work around the" safe when: the chamber'has once been opened'andthe gas place the instant the torch hascut its way through the outerwallof the safe and eng tered the gas chamber and it will thereafter allowed to' escape. This discharge will take I be impossible to use the torch for the pur' F pose of enlarging the hole until the gas chamber has been entirely emptied'and the I gas. dissipated, and this of course will take no opportunity to complete the wreckingbf the safe.

chamber, This lining consists preferably of a series of hollow metallic sections, there be ing preferably two=of these sections above the shelf 6 at the rear triangular inform.

and fitting against the rear wall and designated by reference numerals 9; these sections having chambers 10 therein whereinfithe gas or other agent is confined. Below the shelf,

Q so long a time that the robber would have I After the gas chamber is filled, I the filling opening isthoroughly sealed and the outer surface of 't-hefsatte refinished Sothat it will. be impossible to tell where the similar sections 11 are provided fitting against the rear wall and resting on the bot-a tom of the money chamber. Around the top and'side walls, sections 12 are provided,'be-' ing curved to fit the curved walls of the safe and preferably the cha'mbers 13 therein are,

of greatercapacity at the top and decrease in area toward thebottom for the purpose of increasing the gas-containing character of the chambers without materially reducing" the area of the space wherein the money and securities are keptg Below the shelf, similar curved sections 14 are provided having chambers 15 adapted to contain gas or other substance which will be liberated'instantl when the walllof the chamber is perforatec.

The rear lining sections will beheld against 7 forward movement by the wall sections and shelf has been removed and thus the gas when the shelf 6 has been put in place,-the wall sections cannot drop down until the containers will completely encircle the money chamber at the rear and all around.

the sides and form an effectual protection against the'use of a cutting torch. i I have shown this invention applied to the A wall of asafebut do notconfine myself to such use as obviously the same idea may be embodied in the walls of a vault or as a lin ing for the interior thereof to prevent the use of a torch or other means for cutting a hole through the steel-protecting'walls.

' The'chamber in the wall of the safe may be made in various ways and different forms of lining may beiemployed and still be with in the scope of my invention. 7

In constructing the walls of a vault, a re cess or space may be formed around the room or chamber in the vault and filled with a liquid or gas and hermetically sealed as in the case of a safe. a I the vault are penetrated by a torch, the liquid or gas willybe liberated and will either extinguish-the torch and prevent its further use or throw off such deadly fumes that the robbers cannot continue the vault-breaking her, and seated against said rear wall sec-c tions, said sections providing chambers there- Then when the walls of,

in adapted to containa gas and said sect-ions being in position to be perforated by the action of a cutting flame penetrating the walls of said safe.

2;A safe having a chamber for valuables vand a lining for saidich'amber composed of separable abutting differently configurated hollow sections arranged in mutually selfsustaining position, and containing a noxlou'ssubstance adapted "to prevent access to the chamber.

3. A safe having a valuable's chamber, a I

, 4. A safe havinga valuables chamber, a

lining for said chamber composed of two sets of hollow segmental elements adapted to contain a noxious substance, and arranged at angles to oneanother,the elements of eachset abuttingly disposed and positionally selfsustaining, one ofthe setsacting as a lateral support and retainer for the other, and a shelf interposed between the elements of both sets, and supported by and supporting said elements. g a it t 5; A safe having a valuables chamber, a lining for said chamber composed of dif ferentially configurated sets of hollow se'g mental elements adapted to contain a noxious substance arranged both in coplanar relation, and at angles to one another, said elements being adapted to distribute a'noxious gas when punctured or broken. I

6. Asafe having a-cyl'indrical valuables chamber and a door opening concentric with the axis ofsaid 'chambena, lining for said chamber comprising two sets of'hollow elen' ents each adapted to containa noxious substance, one comprising cylindrical segments and the other flatcircula'r segments, the segmental elements of each set being self-sue; tainingly abuttingly disposed, with the elementsof one set abutting those ofthe other for securing that set against lateral collapse.

'. 7 A safe having a chamber for valuables,

and a lining for said chamber composed of differently configurated sets of hollow abutting sections self-sustainingly arranged, and

each having a noxious substance therein,

adapted to prevent. access through vthe safe walls for theremoval of valuables in said chamber. a i

p In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my ha'ndfthis 14th day of Novemeber 1923. I

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